Sharolyn Townsend

Artist Story

I have always created art in one form another, my medium of choice initially being color pencil or pencil on paper. In high school I was introduced to acrylic and canvas and a whole new world opened up to me. Determined to hone my craft I attended the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada and then moved on to the Nova Scotia College of Art to finish my degree…but in photography. I had been slightly side-tracked by my varying interests. However, my love of painting never died and I soon returned to it, whilst still using my knowledge of photography to enhance and support my work. My choice of subject has been varying but one form, that of non-traditional pet portraiture, has really captured me. For the past several years I’ve devoted most of my energy to pet portraits. What appeals to me are the characters I see in each animal, how individual and expressive they are. I enjoy the challenge of rendering their personalities accurately. On an aesthetic level they also appeal, the graphic nature of their texture and form as well as the negative space around them. My subject matter is all around me and so I am continually inspired!